Welcome to Food Week July 5, 2024. From vacation to holiday to weekend, it’s been a tough week. We bring you good news: the best corn on the cob, tastier tomatoes, less self-checkout, improved gut health, safer orange soda, frewsher coffee beans, fewer butter stains and the Kroger-Albertson’s merger is still dead. Enjoy!
MACRO
- Hring and payroll growth slow.
- The hundred year anniversary of the Caesar salad, the world’s most famous – and best – salad.
RETAIL AND CONSUMER
- The Kroger- Albertson’s merger is approaching Generalissimo Francisco Franco territory. Also, Kroger’s margins returning to historic levels, as opposed to the windfall during inflation.
- Generation Z shoppers participating in group bulk purchasing.
- More retractions from self-checkout.
- Costco tries to get rid of the plastice dome for its rotisserie chicken. Mixed results so far.
- Simple ways are often the best: perfect corn on the cob comes out of boiling water.
RESTAURANTS AND FOODSERVICE
- Flan flavorite: Red Lobster launches Flavor Flav menu in recognition of the rappers effort to save the restaurant chain.
- Data regarding increased minimum wage in California. Interestingly, one of the takeaways is that turnover is down as the quality of employees goes up.
- The Easter Eggs in The Bear season 3.
- McDonald’s in Australia is cutting breakfast due to an egg shortage caused by Avian Influenza.
- The fried chicken sandwich wars are far from over. At the same time Popeye’s – the unofficial winner so far – is committing heavily to promoting boneless wings.
FOOD SUPPLY CHAIN
- Pongamia trees are taking the place of failing Florida orange crop and have great potential as a plant based protein.
- Cassandra speaks: a raw milk warning.
- Canadian Government lifts moratorium on northern cod fishing after 30 years because of recovered populations.
- Chinese scientists creating a more natural – or at least less synthetic- lab grown meat using rice. Meanwhile, in the U.S., legislators want a ban on government funding for cultivated meats.
- Nobody’s happy, Heat, too much rain, too little rain, in various places, have produce suppliers grumbling.
- So much of the GMO debate has been about Monsanto but if you are serious about addressing climate change, GMOs have an important role.
- The newet culprits for PFAs (forever chemicals) are coffee, eggs and white rice. Interestingly, the highest levels are found in eggs from backyard chickens.
- Orange soda drinkers are now a little bit safer: a common additive called brominated vegetable oil has now been banned due to toxicity.
DRINK CORNER
- A comparison of the various ages of Pappy Van Winkle. And an update on the crime of the century: Pappygate.
- In a pinch you can always make a kalimotxo, which is just red wine and coke. However, the idea of caramel soda and acidic grape could be the starting point for interesting things…
- Where the expression ‘rot gut‘ came from. It is worse than you think.
FOOD WEEK JULY 5 LAGNIAPPE
- An argument that the hamburger was invented by the Romans. Also, the best ways to stack the ingredients on your burger.
- Foods to improve your gut health.
- Daily multi-vitamin use does not lower risk of death.
- Best methods for storing coffee beans.
- How a slice of cheese is now part of paranoia/urban legend.
- How to get butter out of clothes.
- Don’t vine ripen your tomatoes. Earlier, better. But after they are ripe, sautee them in brown butter.